Plans for a 62 hectare business park close to the Stallingborough Interchange are set for approval.

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A new £2.6million business park has been approved by the council, which will form part of the £42 million SHIIP Programme designed to boost the economy in the borough.

North East Lincolnshire Council Planning Committee has approved plans for a huge new 42 hectare business park close to the Stallingborough Interchange in order to maintain a ready supply of “oven ready” sites to support investment in the local economy.

The plans are part of the £42 million South Humber Industrial Investment Programme, a scheme designed to create thousands of jobs locally, link up the area's ports and protect the local environment.

The council hopes that the new business park will bring forward a "key strategic employment site that will make a significant contribution towards meeting the employment needs of the borough."

It should create up to 2672 jobs in the area.

Plans for a 62 hectare business park close to the Stallingborough Interchange are set for approval.

The business park would create 20 business units, which will be developed in three phases, and will provide space for research and development, general industry and storage and distribution units.

The site would be nearly triple the size of the nearby Europarc, the area's flagship business park, developed over the past 20 years.

Speaking at a meeting of the North East Lincolnshire Council Planning Committee, councillor Tim Mickleburgh praised the plans for the business park saying: "This is a very important development, but what is more important is its potential to create a lot of jobs for the area.

"We need to be encouraging economic growth in the area and this development does exactly that."

Councillor Nick Pettigrew echoed this sentiment feeling that the business park would be a "valuable project" that has had a lot of work put into it, and he would have "no hesitation in approving it."

An aerial snapshot of where the business park will be located

Councillor Bill Parkinson also praised the development saying: "This is a big project and it is great to see that the SHIIP Programme is beginning to become a reality.

"Once this takes shape it can really bring prosperity to the area and I am definitely in favour of it."

While councillor Ros James welcomed the employment opportunities that this business park will bring.

Councillor Peter Wheatley, cabinet member for regeneration, said: “The availability of good quality employment land within North East Lincolnshire is currently very limited and this is the first steps in addressing this. Additionally, recent evidence has shown that there is real potential for employment growth over the next 10-20 years. This is a key milestone in the South Humber Industrial Investment Plan, and one I’m delighted has progressed."

The site was deemed ideal by the council due to its proximity to nearby ports, particularly the port of Immingham , which is one of the busiest in the country.

It comes as plans have been passed to create the South Humber Bank Link Road, a vital part of the plan to open up the areas between Grimsby and Stallingborough for further development.

The council has rubber stamped the 2.5km stretch between Moody Lane, Grimsby, and Hobson Way, Stallingborough.

Business, planning and development

It will see the existing road giving access to major industrial sites Basf, Technical Absorbents, Great Coates Business Park (the former Courtaulds plant) and Lenzing Fibers, from Moody Lane upgraded, with new construction past the latter plant and through to an existing roundabout.

Known as Energy Park Way, it will enhance the single carriageway, with shared cycle and footway.A late January start is envisaged, with a tender process currently underway through the regional framework facility the local authority uses.

It is a key plank in the South Humber Industrial Investment Project, and will ease reliance on the A180 to connect the ports of Grimsby and Immingham .

The development of the link road is due to start early next year.

Funding for the Stallingborough Interchange Business Park scheme has come from North East Lincolnshire Council (£13.4m) and is match funded with £2.6m funds from the Humber LEP. Work is due to start on site in early 2019, with the project completed by mid 2020.